ISLAMABAD/Lahore/Karachi - The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday gave its nod to a massive administrative reshuffle in three provinces aimed at ensuring a greater degree of transparency in the upcoming general elections in the country.

As for the transfers, the transfer 34 secretaries and managing directors, and 35 deputy commissioners have been approved. Also, the transfer of 77 police officers including SSPs, AIGs, SPs and Additional SPs has been approved.

In Sindh, the ECP has approved transfer of 14 secretaries, six commissioners and 33 deputy commissioners. The transfer of a number of police officers including two AIGs, 14 DIGs and several SSPs has also been approved.

In Balochistan, the transfer of six commissioners, 33 deputy commissioners and 64 assistant commissioners has been approved. Similarly, transfer of 31 sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) has also been approved by the election commission.

Caretaker Minister for Information and Law Affairs Barrister Ali Zafar said yesterday that shuffle in bureaucracy at the federal level is imperative and work in this regard was in progress and the matter is being discussed with the Election Commission of Pakistan. He said the focus of interim government is on ensuring transparent elections in the country.

The move comes after some political parties raised objections that civil servants especially in Punjab have been appointed by the outgoing government of the PML-N and in their presence transparent polls would not be possible.

Political observers have appreciated transfers and postings at this large scale which according them to would now ensure free, fair and transparent elections due on July 25.

In a related development, the election commission has issued Code of Conduct for upcoming elections. According to ECP, there will be a complete ban on the use of panaflex and hoardings. It said that the sizes of posters and banners in the election campaign have also been fixed.

The commission has also prohibited use of pictures of irrelevant persons on banners. The ECP has directed all stakeholders to strictly comply with the code and warned that strict action will be taken against violators.

More than 50 top Sindh bureaucrats have been reshuffled in a bid to overhaul the provincial bureaucracy before the scheduled polls.

The notifications from the provincial services general administration and coordination department showed that the transfers were carried out at the posts of 15 provincial government secretaries, 30 deputy commissioners and five commissioner posts.

Education secretary Dr Iqbal Hussain Durrani, who is son-in law of former CM Qaim Ali Shah, has been transferred and made Board of Revenue senior member, Provincial Ombudsman Secretary Iqbal Nafees Khan has been posted as Enquiries and Anti-Corruption Department chairman, Education and Literacy (School) DG Khalid Hyder Shah as Local Government and Housing Town Planning secretary, and Social Welfare Secretary Alia Shahid as School Education and Literacy secretary along with additional charge of universities and boards.

Women Development Secretary Haroon Ahmed has been posted as Home secretary while home secretary Qazi Shahid Pervez as Information secretary, Finance Special Secretary Noor Alam as Finance secretary, Chief Minister Secretariat secretary Abdul Rahim Shaikh as Works and Services secretary, Nawaz Shaikh as Food secretary and Health secretary Fazlullah Pechuho - who is a brother-in-law of Asif Zardari- was posted as Livestock secretary.